{"id":5661,"date":"2021-04-04T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-04-04T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.barbdahlgren.com\/?p=5661"},"modified":"2021-02-16T18:33:35","modified_gmt":"2021-02-17T00:33:35","slug":"victory-in-jesus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/?p=5661","title":{"rendered":"Victory in Jesus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Think on These Things: Positive thoughts in a negative world\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.barbdahlgren.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/1-Corinthians-15.54-churchartpro.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.barbdahlgren.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/1-Corinthians-15.54-churchartpro.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5662\" width=\"242\" height=\"334\" srcset=\"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/1-Corinthians-15.54-churchartpro.jpg 436w, https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/1-Corinthians-15.54-churchartpro-218x300.jpg 218w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 242px) 100vw, 242px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Bible refers to death as our final enemy (1 Corinthians 15:26). A loved one\u2019s death can fill us with helplessness or if it comes quickly, anger. Facing our own death may have us feeling fearful, uncertain, perhaps defeated. Even those who bail out of life with suicide are hoping for something better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At this time of year, we are reminded of One who lived and died for us. Jesus Christ loved us so much He came to earth, lived among us, and freely died for us. But death was not the end of the story, for He rose from the dead and is victorious. \u201cDeath is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is thy sting?\u201d (1 Corinthians 15:54-55).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The good news is that Christ\u2019s victory over death is ours as well. He fought the battle for us. All we have to do is to choose to partake of this victory in Christ as John 5:24 tells us. \u201cHe who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.\u201d This has nothing to do with living a good life or earning salvation. It comes from believing and trusting God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Death doesn\u2019t have to be the end; it can be the beginning. At death our \u201cperishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality\u201d (1 Corinthians 15:54). Death is swallowed in victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although I don\u2019t want to rush this victorious process by embracing premature death, it\u2019s nice to know Christ\u2019s resurrection gives me blessed assurance. When the women came to Christ\u2019s tomb they were told, \u201cHe is not here; He is risen\u2026\u201d (Matthew 28:6). He is risen and lives today\u2014and because He lives, we shall live also.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><em>*****<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201c<\/em><em>Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.\u201d ~Philippians 4:8 (KJV)<\/em><em><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Think on These Things: Positive thoughts in a negative world\u2026 The Bible refers to death as our final enemy (1 Corinthians 15:26). A loved one\u2019s death can fill us with helplessness or if it comes quickly, anger. Facing our own &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/?p=5661\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5661","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5661","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5661"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5661\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5661"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5661"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5661"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}